Johnny's Boys

Johnny Cash's original back-up band comes to Whistler

Johnny Cash fans can live out their fantasy with the real deal. The sound behind the country music legend is coming to the Garibaldi Lift Company Friday, July 7.

Tennessee Three was the backing band for Cash for more than 40 years, until his semi-retirement in 1996.

Cashs guitar player Bob Wootton and drummer W.S. Holland continue to champion the award-winning music with shows across the globe.

This is not a tribute band. Repeat: this is not a tribute band. This is the band responsible for making Cashs music and performing along side fellow legend June Carter.

Carter was responsible for breaking Woottons career when Cashs original guitarist Luther Perkins missed a flight in the fall of 1968. Wootton stepped in at the request of Carter. Wootton later replaced Perkins when he died in a house fire.

Wootton not only played in the band, but accompanied Cash on vocals as well. So that is why a Tennessee Three show feels as though you might be watching The Man in Black himself.

Holland had a name for himself before joining Cash. He recorded with Carl Perkins, including the hit Blue Suede Shoes, and toured with artists such as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis as part of the Sun Records artists tours.

Holland joined forces with Cash, playing all of his hits, including Folsom Prison, I Walk The Line and Ring of Fire. He performed with Cash as the first full-set drummer to play at the Grand Ole Opry, the first country act to play Carnegie Hall and he performed for four different presidents at the White House. He was cited by Ringo Starr of the Beatles as one of the major influences in Starrs career. The Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee was also awarded the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award for "The Heartbeat of Mega Hits for 50 Years" in 2004. His recording credits also include Carl Mann, Little David Wilkins and Bob Dylan.

Tennessee Three originally began as The Tennessee Two in the mid-50s with Perkins and Cashs bassist Marshall Grant. Two became three when Holland joined the group. After Perkins died, Wootton stepped in. The group recorded an album dedicated to Perkins called
The Tennessee Three: The Sound Behind Johnny Cash
. Grant left the group in 1980, leaving Wootton and Holland to carry on with additional band members. The group is currently touring Canada promoting their new tribute album to Cash,
The Sound Must Go On
, which was released earlier this year.